Pets
Lots of people who consider they are animal lovers share their homes with cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, birds or other animals that are considered as pets. On the surface it may seem that we all love our animals and try to do the best we can for them, but if we look a little deeper there is a whole range of animal abuse which occur to provide us with these companions.
Where our animals come from, who bred them, is a cause for concern. Maybe you know the person who just loves his little staffy dog and wanted her to have puppies. Or maybe your new companion came from the pet shop. Sadly behind the scenes many companion animals are bred in substandard conditions which cause pain and suffering. Many dog breeders care very little about the breeding animals in their care and treat them as little more than puppy factories. The stories of breeding bitches rescued from breeders are heart breaking as they are cast aside when they are too old to reproduce. Puppies which are physically or mentally disabled and the runt of the litter are often killed by the breeder.
Some people believe that each animal has the right to have a litter of offspring. Sadly this attitude leads to an over abundance of animals and a lack of suitable homes. Owners who allow their dogs or cats to wander un-neutered are creating more animals which are destroyed because they cannot be taken in to loving homes.
If you want an animals there are animal rescue centres bursting with loveable, affectionate animals, desperate for a permanent home and a settled environment. There are a number of excellent rescue centres in the North West, see Animal Rescue.
Exotic pet trade
The trade in reptiles is a billion dollar a year industry. Each year 8 million red-eared turtles are exported from the United States to pet and food markets abroad. Many of these animals are wild caught; others are bred in situations where there are 15,000 animals in one pond. Red-eared terrapins and other turtles can live for up to 75 years, this may be longer than their human guardian. Exotic animals are attractive to us as they are unusual and different; they are more like wild animals than domesticated ones. Although this is in some ways attractive, it can often lead to neglect because owners simply don’t know how to properly care for these animals or have the facilities to deal with animals which need specialized care.